1 Timothy 1:20
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

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- is the wholative genitive (the old designation is ‘partitive genitive’) from the masculine
plural relative pronoun HOS, meaning “Among whom” and referring back to the certain ones (the
whole) of whom Hymenaeus and Alexander are a part. Then we have the third person singular
present active indicative from the verb EIMI, which means “to be: are” in the sense “to belong to
someone or something through association or genetic affiliation, be, belong with the genitive
Acts 9:2; 1 Cor 1:12; 3:4; Rom 8:9; 2 Cor 10:7; 1 Tim 1:20; 1 Thes 5:5, 8; Col 4:9; 2 Cor 4:7.”1
The present tense is an aoristic present, which states the state or condition as a present fact
without reference to its beginning, end, progress, or result.
The active voice indicates that Hymenaeus and Alexander produce the action of being
among the group of reversionistic believers in Ephesus.
The indicative mood is declarative for a simple statement of fact.
This is followed by the nominative subject from the masculine singular proper names
HUMENAIOS and ALEXANDROS with the simple connective conjunction KAI, meaning
“and.”
“Among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander,”
- is the accusative direct
object from the masculine plural relative pronoun HOS, meaning “whom” and referring to these
two men just mentioned. Then we have the first person singular aorist active indicative from the
verb PARADIDWMI, which means “to deliver over someone for punishment; hand over, turn
over, give up a person as a technical term of police and courts ‘hand over into [the] custody
[of]’.”2
The aorist tense is a dramatic aorist, which is the use of the aorist tense for emphasis or
dramatic effect. It describes something which has just happened, the effect of which is felt in the
present. It is closely related to the culminative aorist, but is more forceful and puts more
emphasis on recent events or attainment.
The active voice indicates that Paul has produced the action.
The indicative mood is declarative for a dramatic statement of fact.
This is followed by the dative indirect object from the masculine singular article and noun
SATANAS, meaning “to Satan.”
“whom I have delivered over to Satan,”
- is the
conjunction HINA, which introduces a purpose clause and is translated “in order that.” Then we
have the third person plural aorist passive subjunctive from the verb PAIDEUW, which means
1
Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other early
Christian literature. (3rd ed.) (Page 285). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
2
Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other early
Christian literature. (3rd ed.) (Page 762). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
1
1 Timothy 1:20
“(1) to provide instruction for informed and responsible living, educate; (2) to assist in the
development of a person’s ability to make appropriate choices, practice discipline, correct, give
guidance 2 Tim 2:25; lead to Tit 2:12; to discipline with punishment mostly of divine discipline
Heb 12:6, 10b; Rev 3:19; 1 Cor 11:32; 2 Cor 6:9; 1 Tim 1:20; of discipline by human fathers
Heb 12:7, 10a; discipline by whipping or scourging Lk 23:16, 22.”3 In the passive voice it can
be translated “be taught by discipline.”
The aorist tense is a futuristic aorist, which regards the action in its entirety as a fact which
is about to happen.
The passive voice indicates that these two men will receive the action of being disciplined
by Satan in the immediate future.
The subjunctive mood is used with HINA to form a purpose clause and indicates a potential
only in that it has not yet happened, but is about to take place.
Finally, we have the negative MĒ, meaning “not” with the present active infinitive from the verb
BLASPHĒMEW, which is transliterated “to blaspheme, which means “to slander, revile,
defame, speak irreverently/impiously/disrespectfully of or about.”4 When slander is directed
against God or God’s word, it is called blasphemy and the verb should be translated to
blaspheme.
The present tense is an aoristic present, which presents the action as a fact without reference
to its progress.
The active voice indicates that these two men will produce the action of not slandering,
reviling, defaming, or speaking disrespectfully about the word of God once Satan gets done with
them.
The infinitive is an infinitive of indirect object or complementary infinitive, which explains
or modifies the verb “to educate by discipline.”
“in order that they might be taught by discipline not to blaspheme.”
1 Tim 1:20 corrected translation
“Among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered over to Satan, in order
that they might be taught by discipline not to blaspheme.”
Explanation:
1. “Among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander,”
a. Paul continues with a direct comment concerning a couple of men that are part of the
group of reversionists in Ephesus. Both apparently were pastor-teachers and had led splintergroups away from the Ephesian church to form their own local churches and spread their false
teaching.
b. Both of these men were handed over by Paul to Satan because of defection from the true
faith. “According to 2 Tim 2:17 his error and that of Philetus consisted in maintaining that the
3
Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other early
Christian literature. (3rd ed.) (Page 749). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
4
Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other early
Christian literature. (3rd ed.) (Page 178). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
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1 Timothy 1:20
resurrection had already taken place.”5 2 Tim 2:16-18, “Keep on avoiding anti-doctrinal empty
talk [in preaching], for they will get deeper into reversionism, in fact, their teaching will spread
like cancer. Among whom there is Hymenaeus and Philetus, such a category of pastors who
have departed from the doctrine, communicating that the resurrection has already occurred, and
they are corrupting the doctrine of certain ones [those negative to the word of God].”
c. Alexander was probably not the same man sent forward to speak to the crowd of
Gentiles, when a riot began in Ephesus and forced Paul to leave the city. Acts 19:23-41.
d. Apparently Alexander started out as a very positive believer. In our verse Paul turns him
over for divine discipline, and one of two things happened as a result:
(1) He either recovered from his reversionism since he is not mentioned in 2 Tim 2:1618 along with Hymenaeus again.
(2) He died the sin unto death and was replaced by Philetus, who is mentioned with
Hymenaeus in 2 Tim 2:16-18. Since the word of God is silent on the matter, it does no good to
speculate.
e. Because Hymenaeus is mentioned first, he was the leader of the group and Alexander
was his executive officer or second in command. Apparently Alexander is replaced by Philetus
within a couple of years.
f. A comparison of this passage with 2 Tim 2:16-18 also tells us that Paul’s turning over
Hymenaeus to Satan for discipline did not change his mind about his reversionism or apostasy.
g. Hymenaeus was in locked-in negative volition to the truth and preferred to be the leader
of a bunch of rebellious believers and unbelievers rather than a follower of the true doctrine and
of Timothy’s teaching, the legitimate pastor of Ephesus.
h. Underlying this statement is the power struggle that went on in Ephesus over who would
really lead the Ephesian congregation. This is probably why Paul had to order Timothy to stay
put in Ephesus. Timothy probably had his fill of the negative volition and power politics in the
church, and like Apollos in Corinth, just wanted out of the church altogether.
2. “whom I have delivered over to Satan,”
a. This is an astounding statement, because it indicates that the apostles had the authority to
deliver over a degenerate believer to Satan for the administration of maximum divine discipline.
b. The spiritual gift of apostleship had tremendous authority and responsibility. The Lord
delegated the authority to the apostles to turn a believer over to Satan for discipline and
punishment.
c. This kind of authority no longer exists in the Church Age, because of the temporary
nature of the spiritual gift of apostleship. Pastor’s do not have this authority.
d. This authority could not be exercised toward unbelievers, since they were already under
the authority of Satan.
e. The purpose of this authority was to make negative believers wake up to their apathy
toward the teaching of the word of God and acceptance of false doctrine.
f. It should be noted that these two men had spiritual communication gifts, such as pastorteacher or evangelist. Paul didn’t deliver their followers over to Satan, but the leaders. Once the
followers saw what Satan would do to the leaders, the followers would pay attention to what
Paul had to say whether personally or through his emissary Timothy.
5
Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other early
Christian literature. (3rd ed.) (Page 1027). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
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1 Timothy 1:20
g. The process of delivering a believer over to Satan was also used by Paul in 1 Cor 5:4-5,
when he directed the Corinthian church to deliver the incestuous believer over to Satan. “When
you and my spirit are assembled together in the name of our Lord Jesus together with the power
of our Lord Jesus, deliver over such a person to Satan for the purpose of the destruction of the
flesh, in order that his spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord.”
h. There comes a point in the negative volition of certain believers that there is nothing any
positive believer can do for them. We can call this point “locked-in negative volition.” You
cannot counsel them; you cannot beg or plead with them; you cannot get angry or argue with
them. You simply must let them go, and allow Satan and the cosmic system to administer
terrible suffering, grief, agony, discouragement, depression, fear, worry, hysteria, and every
possible mental and physical pain to them.
i. God is taking these people out under the concept of the state of sinfulness resulting in
death. This ‘sin’ is the state of sinfulness of perpetual carnality. Perpetual carnality results in
physical death administered by Satan rather than dying grace administered by the Lord.
j. But prior to the horrible experience of the sin unto death comes the tremendous and
prolonged mental and physical torture of being turned over to Satan for discipline.
k. A comparison of First and Second Timothy quickly reveals that the men mentioned here
by Paul are mentioned in both letters. If the two letters were written within the same year or
even a few years apart, it means that Satan had permission from the Lord to torture and make life
as miserable as possible for these men until the Lord decided to bring them home.
l. Being turned or delivered over to Satan does not indicate loss of salvation; for our
salvation is eternal and cannot be lost. Being delivered over to Satan means He can do whatever
he wants to hurt the believer, but the death of the believer is God’s victory and that victory is
never given to Satan.
m. Satan enjoys hurting believers delivered over to him for punishment. It is probably his
only enjoyment. Satan cannot hurt the Lord. Therefore, the next closest thing is being able to
hurt those whom the Lord loves.
n. You might ask, “Why would the Lord turn over to Satan, those whom He loves?” The
Lord does so because these believers have so rejected the love of God and the word of God that
the Lord gives them what they really want, a much closer relationship with the ruler of this
world. They want to really get to know Satan, so the Lord permits them to experience Satan up
close and personal. The answer to this question is given in the next clause—that they might be
taught by that discipline not to blaspheme.
3. “in order that they might be taught by discipline not to blaspheme.”
a. Paul finishes this sentence with God’s purpose in delivering a believer over to Satan.
b. There are two ways a believer is going to learn in life:
(1) By the teaching of the word of God.
(2) By discipline and pain. This is the University of Hard Knocks.
c. The Greek verb PAIDEUW means to educate a child through the discipline of a whip for
failure to pay attention and do what they are told. Then it came to be used for the discipline of a
criminal for failure to obey the law by scourging him with a whip.
d. The point Paul is making is that some believers only learn by physical pain, since they
refuse to learn through the gentle, enforced humility of the teaching of the local church.
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1 Timothy 1:20
e. Blasphemy is rejection and slander of the love of God. God will not tolerate slander of
His love for us. He would not tolerate Satan’s slander of His love and sentenced Satan to the
eternal lake of fire.
f. Since believers cannot be sentenced to the lake of fire, but the justice of God demands
teaching them not to slander the love of God, they must be taught by discipline of physical pain
on earth not to blaspheme.
g. God’s purpose in divine discipline is to teach the believer to respect the fact that God
loves them.
h. Locked-in negative volition and perpetual carnality is total disrespect of the love God has
for the believer. It is rejection of the love of God, and the righteousness of God will not tolerate
this and demands that the justice of God do something about it.
i. Therefore, the justice of God administers this teaching by discipline, because the
righteousness of God demands it.
j. This teaching is always administered in love, Heb 12:5-6, “and you have forgotten the
exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, ‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the
Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines,
and He scourges [PAIDEUW] every son whom He receives.’”
5